Packers 60s Championship Era : Most Underrated

[Brian wolf]

Two other individuals deserve some credit, though smaller for the Packer dynasty.

Player personnel director Jack Vainisi drafted 8 HOF players, signed another three with at least another 5 drafted or signed with cases as well. He deserves credit for bringing Lombardi into head coaching when teams were worried about his volatile nature and worse, his Italian ancestry. Vainisi unfortunately died before the Packers made their first championship appearance in 1960 but a series of events helped turn the Packers into a powerhouse in 1961. The sad death of Vainisi happened during a tight divisional race in the Western Division as the Colts lost control with injuries on defense and to Unitas with arm problems contributing to many turnovers, as the Packers clinched the division with a late surge. Unfortunately, the Packers lost the Championship game to the Eagles and Norm Van Brocklin. To make matters worse, Lombardi finds out that Giants HC Jim Lee Howell would resign from the team after the season and feels the Mara family should have considered him as a replacement.

Still-new commissioner Pete Rozelle plays a small role in the Packers future by meeting with Lombardi and convincing him to honor his contract with the team, denying him a chance to change teams, though no one knows if the Mara's would have hired him anyway, as OC Allie Sherman lobbies for the job through the press and gets it to Lombardi's consternation. At the end of 1961 season, he gets revenge against Sherman as the Packers rout the Giants 37-0 in the championship game. A great day in memory of Vainisi as well, who should be elected to the HOF as a contributor IMO ...

[Brian wolf]

Question for Packer fans ... Had former wide receiver Billy Howton went to the AFL and the Patriots in 1964 rather than retiring, could he have played well with former teammate Babe Parilli and made the HOF ?

[Sonny9]

Any articles of opponents mentioning how good Skoronski was?

[Jay Z]

Any articles of opponents mentioning how good Skoronski was?

Skoronski platooned with Norm Masters until Masters retired. When Kramer was hurt in 1961 and 1964 they both played. That hurts Skoronski's ratings IMO.